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Adult rehabilitation research

Everything we have read on adult rehabilitation. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

1,091 PAPERS · PAGE 12 OF 22 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTQualitative2022Understanding occupational therapy practice in residential aged care facilities under the Aged Care Funding Instrument: A qualitative study.Australian occupational therapy journalSeven occupational therapists in Australian residential aged care described a funding system that rewarded documenting disability over independence. They reported being pressured to record residents as needing more help than they did, and to document pain massage sessions that were not actually delivered.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022Benefits of an Intensive Individual CO-OP Intervention in a Group Setting for Children with DCD.Occupational therapy internationalChildren with DCD improved on goals trained during a five-day intensive CO-OP camp, with gains held at three-month follow-up. Transfer to goals coached at home afterwards was less consistent, with parents reporting improvements that children and independent ratings did not always confirm.
• OTQualitative2022Occupational Therapy-Based Energy Management Education in People with Post-COVID-19 Condition-Related Fatigue: Results from a Focus Group Discussion.Occupational therapy internationalNine OTs said energy management education was relevant for post-COVID fatigue, but they reported patients often struggled to see new physical and cognitive limits. They suggested adapting materials and starting with one-to-one contact before group use.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022Facilitators and Barriers to Sustainable Employment After Spinal Cord Injury or Acquired Brain Injury: The Person's Perspective.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with spinal cord or acquired brain injury described sustainable work as depending on accessible, flexible workplaces, supportive colleagues, and confidence to explain their needs. Insurance delays and invisible fatigue were major barriers.
• PTOTCohort2022Clinical and socio-demographic determinants of community reintegration in people with spinal cord injury in eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province.The South African journal of physiotherapyCommunity reintegration was lower in women and those with muscle spasms. Employment and salary were linked to higher scores, but injury severity and other complications like pressure sores or infections showed no significant association with reintegration levels.
• PTOTSurvey2022Factors related to self-care behaviors among hospitalized patients with heart failure in Japan, based on the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale.Journal of physical therapy scienceHeart failure patients with higher pre-hospital physical activity scores had worse self-care behaviors in managing symptoms. Younger patients also reported poorer overall self-care. Target education on when to seek help for active patients, and reinforce general self-care for younger adults.
• OTPilot2022Exploring Effects of Sensory Garments on Participation of Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Pretest-Posttest Repeated Measure Design.Occupational therapy internationalChildren who tolerated wearing sensory garments improved on their specific goals for sleep and dressing. However, parent stress and sense of competence did not change. The study lacked a control group, so improvement may have come from the goal-setting process itself.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Perceptions and Experiences of Individuals With Neck Pain: A Systematic Critical Review of Qualitative Studies With Meta-Summary and Meta-Synthesis.Physical therapyPeople with neck pain described their experience as multidimensional. While physical symptoms like stiffness and headaches were common, the strongest themes were psychological worry and social limitations. Participants reported fear of movement, frustration with care, and difficulty working or maintaining relationships.
• OTSLPQualitative2022Early positive approaches to support (E-PAtS): Qualitative experiences of a new support programme for family caregivers of young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDCaregivers said the E-PAtS group helped them feel normal, speak openly, gain confidence, and use small communication and daily routine strategies they reported as helpful for their child.
• OTCohort2022Relationship between Activities of Daily Living of Home-Based Rehabilitation Users and Caregiver Burden-Induced Depression: A Retrospective Study.Occupational therapy internationalCaregiver burden was highest when patients had poor bladder control. A Barthel Index score of 5 or less for bladder control identified 90% of caregivers with high burden. This simple indicator may help occupational therapists spot caregivers at risk for depression.
• PTOTOther2022Enhancing touch sensibility by sensory retraining in a sensory discrimination task via haptic rendering.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHealthy adults improved their ability to distinguish virtual textures after training with a robotic device. The robot guiding the hand was more consistent than letting people explore freely. People felt more competent when the robot guided them. This is a test in healthy adults, not patients.
• OTSLPSurvey2022Effect of Covid-19 lockdown on indian children with autism.Research in developmental disabilitiesParents reported that children with autism regressed across daily living, language, behaviour, school and online therapy during the Indian lockdown. School performance showed the largest drop. The authors suggest preparing home-based and parent-led plans for future closures.
• OTRCT2022Effect of Occupation Performance Coaching with Four-Quadrant Model of Facilitated Learning on Children with Specific Learning Disorder.Occupational therapy internationalSix mothers coached in a combined problem-solving and learning model reported that their children with specific learning disorder improved in daily activities and executive function. The intervention was delivered to mothers, not children, and the small sample size prevents firm conclusions about efficacy.
• PTOTPilot2022Developing and Implementing ICF-Based Tools for Occupational Rehabilitation Supporting the Communication and Return to Work Process Between Sickness Absentees, Clinical Team and Jobcentre Contacts.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOccupational therapists and physiotherapists found that ICF assessments alone were too slow and lacked the patient's voice. Combining them with a positive-framed questionnaire and a structured report helped jobcentre contacts make better return-to-work decisions.
• PTOTQualitative2022Practice-Based Evidence to Support Return to Work in Cancer Patients.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesBelgian oncology staff said they lack knowledge of legal reintegration rules and rarely contact employers directly. Work support usually waits for patient requests. A dedicated coordinator was seen as essential, but no single discipline claimed that role.
• OTRCT2022Effects of Combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Bilateral Upper Limb Training in Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Occupational therapy internationalAdding cognitive behavioral therapy to bilateral upper limb training reduced depression, anxiety, and negative thoughts in stroke patients. It did not improve upper limb function more than conventional therapy, but it did increase patient satisfaction with their performance.
• OTSurvey2022Increased perceived stress is negatively associated with activities of daily living and subjective quality of life in younger, middle, and older autistic adults.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults who felt more stress about everyday life were less independent in daily living and reported lower quality of life across physical, psychological, social, environmental, and autism-related domains.
• OTQualitative2022Return to work of employees with low levels of education: The employers' role and perspective.Work (Reading, Mass.)Employers of low-educated Dutch workers described themselves as directive, leaving employees little room to influence their return to work. They viewed staff as passive and distrustful of their intentions, often prioritizing speed over individual preferences. This perspective highlights a power imbalance rather than patient outcomes.
• PTOTCohort2022Geriatric Vulnerabilities Among Obese Older Adults With and Without Sarcopenia: Findings From a Nationally Representative Cohort Study.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Obese older adults with sarcopenia had 6.4 times the odds of being frail and twice the odds of social isolation, depression, and pain compared to obese peers without sarcopenia. Screen for these vulnerabilities before prescribing weight loss or exercise.
• OTRCT2022Healthy Minds: Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Sustainable Return to Work After a Sick Leave Due to Depression.Journal of occupational rehabilitationIn a small pilot, the work-focused group CBT did not clearly reduce depressive or anxiety symptoms more than control. Work productivity scores improved in the intervention group from baseline to post-intervention and six-month follow-up, but this was a pilot with 30 participants.
• PTOTRCT2022Work Ability After Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion Followed by a Structured Postoperative Rehabilitation: Secondary Outcomes of a Prospective Randomized Controlled Multi-Centre Trial with a 2-year Follow-up.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAdding structured postoperative rehabilitation did not improve work ability more than standard care two years after cervical fusion surgery. Both groups improved similarly, suggesting recovery is driven by the surgery itself rather than the specific physiotherapy programme.
• PTOTCohort2022The demographic and disability characteristics of individuals who regularly attend an urban adaptive fitness center: An observational study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPeople with significant disabilities who attend an adaptive fitness center are more disabled than 86% of the general population. Despite this, 96.8% exercise there at least twice a week, showing that high disability levels do not stop regular participation.
• PTOTCohort2022The Readiness for Return to Work Scale; Does it Help in Evaluation of Return to Work?Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe Norwegian version of the Readiness for Return to Work scale fails to measure a single clear construct and poorly predicts who returns to work. Clinicians should not use this questionnaire in the clinic or to evaluate interventions, as its subscales are too small and unstable to guide treatment.
• OTRCT2022Evaluating occupational performance coaching to support fatigue management for people with multiple sclerosis: A feasibility study.Clinical rehabilitationAdding occupational therapy coaching to a fatigue website helped people with severe multiple sclerosis fatigue set goals and use the site more. While participants felt more confident and less impacted by fatigue, these improvements were not significant enough to prove the coaching works.
• OTQualitative2022Exploring Interactions in the Sickness Insurance System in Terms of Power and Trust.Journal of occupational rehabilitationClients on long-term sick leave described trying to prove their work ethic during evaluations, even pushing past their limits. They felt distrusted by the system, while clinicians who knew them often verified their genuine effort and desire to return to work.
• PTOTCohort2023Occupational engagement, fatigue, and upper and lower extremity abilities in persons with melorheostosis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn 45 adults with melorheostosis, high-demand leisure activities were least retained and often given up. Physical fatigue was linked to lower activity retention, and lesion location was linked to extremity-specific function scores. Motivation and mental fatigue were not.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2022Association Between Self-Reported Disability and Lifetime History of Traumatic Brain Injury With Loss of Consciousness Among Veterans and Nonveterans in North Carolina.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationVeterans and nonveterans reporting a lifetime history of traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness had higher rates of current disability. Cognitive, independent living, and vision disabilities showed the strongest associations. This identifies a group needing careful functional assessment, but does not prove the injury caused the disability.
• PTOTSurvey2022Perceived impacts of COVID-19 on wellbeing among US working-age adults with ADL difficulty.Disability and health journalWorking-age adults with severe difficulty in daily activities reported much higher rates of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and worsened physical health than those without. They also reported more strain on family relationships, but no significant difference in financial impacts or ability to see a doctor.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2022Internet-Based Information Sharing With Families of Patients With Stroke in a Rehabilitation Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case-Control Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesStroke patients whose families received video updates on rehabilitation progress improved more in daily living activities than matched controls. However, families chose to participate, so proactive support rather than the videos may have driven the gain.
• PTOTCohort2022A First View of the Effect of a Trial of Early Mobilization on the Muscle Strength and Activities of Daily Living in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With COVID-19.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn 28 mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients, starting rehabilitation during intubation or after extubation led to similar functional recovery at discharge. Both groups improved, but most remained functionally dependent. This small study cannot confirm which timing is superior.
• PTOTSLPRCT2022Post stroke intervention trial in fatigue (POSITIF): Randomised multicentre feasibility trial.Clinical rehabilitationTelephone-delivered CBT for post-stroke fatigue showed no significant benefit over a leaflet at six months. Both groups improved similarly. The intervention was feasible to deliver but adherence was low, with only 59% of the intervention group attending four or more sessions.
• PTOTQualitative2022Living With Cervical Spinal Cord Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationTen people with cervical spinal cord injury described how the pandemic forced difficult trade-offs between infection risk and essential caregiving. They found telemedicine helpful for routine care but inadequate for hands-on therapy, while isolation and loss of support severely impacted mental health.
• PTOTQualitative2023Developing A Conceptual Framework for Early Intervention Vocational Rehabilitation for People Following Spinal Cord Injury.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEarly vocational rehab for spinal cord injury works by building hope through consistent team messaging and trusting relationships. Speed and direction are governed by the patient, not the clock. No time pressure to return to work may help, but evidence is limited to New Zealand's compensation system.
• PTOTCohort2023Natural Course of Muscular Strength, Physical Performance, and Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost hospitalized COVID-19 patients improved over 12 weeks, but sit-to-stand speed remained slow in many. Hand grip strength was normal in almost all, so lower-limb function lagged behind.
• OTRCT2023A study of prisms and therapy in attention loss after stroke (SPATIAL): A feasibility randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationAdding brief prism adaptation training to routine occupational therapy for stroke patients with spatial inattention showed no benefit. The intervention was feasible and acceptable to patients and therapists, but the authors concluded it is not worth pursuing in a larger trial.
• PTOTCohort2023Does Consulting an Occupational Medicine Specialist Decrease Time to Return to Work Among Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients? A 12-Month Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationConsulting an occupational medicine specialist within three months of total knee replacement did not speed up return to work. Patients who saw a specialist returned to work later than those who did not, especially those with high preoperative expectations of their work ability.
• PTOTSurvey2022Identifying the most proximal multi-level factors associated with meeting each of the 24-h movement behavior recommendations in a sample of autistic adults.Disability and health journalAutistic adults with more comorbidities had lower odds of meeting sleep guidelines. Those with greater daily living independence and who attended more group activities were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines. These are correlations from a survey, not proof that changing these factors improves health.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Correlations between Disease Severity and Rehabilitation Outcomes in Patients Recovering from Covid-19 Infection.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePost-acute COVID-19 patients with severe disease started rehabilitation with lower function but reached similar independence to milder cases at discharge. They needed longer hospital stays and more rehabilitation time to catch up, suggesting early referral is critical for those with prolonged acute illness.
• PTOTCohort2022ICF-based prediction of return to work after trauma rehabilitation: Results of the icfPROreha study in patients with severe musculoskeletal injuries.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPain at rest and financial concerns at rehab admission strongly predicted failure to return to work 78 weeks after trauma. A model using these and other factors identified at-risk patients with 65.6% sensitivity, enabling early targeted intervention for delayed return to work.
• PTOTRCT2022Multi-center, single-blind randomized controlled trial comparing functional electrical stimulation therapy to conventional therapy in incomplete tetraplegia.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFunctional electrical stimulation was not better than conventional therapy for self-care independence. Both groups improved by about 2 points, a meaningful change, but there was no significant difference between them. The study was underpowered due to pandemic interruptions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Efficacy of Early Inpatient Rehabilitation of Post-COVID-19 Survivors: Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPost-COVID patients in early inpatient rehab made significant functional gains. Most recovered lung function and swallowing. Cognitive deficits persisted in 30% of ventilated patients and 60% of non-ventilated patients. Patients who needed ventilation had higher rates of acute care transfer and skilled nursing discharge.
• PTOTCohort2022Results from the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey: The Lived Experience of People with Spinal Cord Injury in South-Eastern Brazil.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePeople with spinal cord injury in south-eastern Brazil reported spasticity as their most problematic health condition (33%) and neuropathic pain (13%). Public spaces and long-distance transport were major environmental barriers.
• OTPilot2022Combining elements of the CO-OP Approach™ with education to promote healthy eating among older adults: A pilot study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOlder adult volunteers found a diet group that combined education and self-set goals feasible and mostly helpful. Food tracking became burdensome, and they wanted more peer support and individualization; this did not test whether diets or dementia risk changed.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Functioning and Disability in Community-Living People with Perceived Cognitive Impairment or Dementia: A Mixed Methods Study using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule.Journal of rehabilitation medicineNext-of-kin rated people with cognitive impairment as having far more difficulty in daily life than the patients did themselves. Both groups agreed mobility was the least problematic area. Patients relied heavily on homecare and day centres to stay independent.
• OTQualitative2022Understanding the Technology Acceptance and Usability of a New Device for Hand Therapy: Qualitative Descriptive Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHand therapists described six factors affecting FEPSim acceptance: usefulness, ease, access, encouragement, looks, and use. They liked measurement and group fit. Pain, cognition, functional goals, and poor access limited use.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Gaze-contingent display technology can help to reduce the ipsilesional attention bias in hemispatial neglect following stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationGaze-contingent masks shifted neglect patients' attention leftward. However, this did not improve target detection in the neglected side and worsened reaction times on the right. The technology alters eye movements but does not yet fix functional neglect.
• PTOTOther2022A comparative study of the efficacy and functionality of 10 commercially available wrist-hand orthoses in healthy females during activities of daily living.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTen commercially available prefabricated wrist-hand orthoses failed to consistently block wrist flexion or radial deviation during five common daily tasks. All orthoses increased the time required to complete activities like pouring water or turning a key, with longer devices causing the greatest delays.
• PTOTRCT2022Augmented reality for stroke rehabilitation during COVID-19.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChronic stroke survivors who replaced part of their usual therapy with augmented reality training showed significant improvements in upper and lower limb motor function. However, walking ability did not improve significantly, and balance gains were inconsistent between home and centre-based groups.
• OTCase-Control2022Autism interest intensity in early childhood associates with executive functioning but not reward sensitivity or anxiety symptoms.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn young children, intense interests are linked to difficulty shifting attention, but not to reward sensitivity or anxiety. This association held for both autistic and non-autistic children, suggesting that executive function support may help manage interest-related interference regardless of diagnosis.
• PTOTPilot2022Feedback control of upright seating with functional neuromuscular stimulation during a reaching task after spinal cord injury: a feasibility study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFeedback-controlled electrical stimulation helped four of five people with spinal cord injury return to an upright seated position faster after reaching for a weighted jar. Effects on trunk sway and reach distance varied widely between individuals, and one person with a lower-level injury saw no benefit.